CITIC Futures: Sudden Geopolitical Disruptions, Methanol Fluctuates Slightly Stronger

The market is oscillating with a slight upward bias. On the supply side, domestic methanol is expected to maintain high operating loads, while imported methanol arrivals are projected to stay within a lower range; demand-wise, MTO demand and traditional demand are difficult to boost, and the fundamentals may remain weak. However, after the outbreak of geopolitical conflicts, the short-term focus of the methanol market is returning to geopolitics—there’s a high likelihood that the restart pace of Iranian facilities will be disrupted, potentially leading to short-term destocking at ports, and domestic methanol futures may see upward movement. Overall, expect the range to fluctuate with a slight upward bias. (CITIC Futures)